Details
by lian04
Summary: There were more than a few rumors floating around Hogwarts concerning how and why Sirius ran away from home.


Details

According to the rumors at Hogwarts, the night that Sirius Black ran away was both rainy (which was silly since the summer of '76 was one of the driest in years) and freezing cold (which was increasingly silly since it was July). Or wait, ran away? Escaped was more like it, since there was a lot of blood, violence and crying involved. Chased by family members, death eaters and conjured beast alike, he dashed through the streets of London, running for his life. Some say that he was wandless, other claimed that he fought back with never-before-seen ferocity, another group agreed that he was wandless, but fought back using wandless magic. Those claiming that doing wandless magic in the middle of muggle London is impossible without the Ministry catching you, especially for a sixteen year old boy, were quickly told that ministry officials were small fry for someone of Sirius's caliber.

The much less dramatic truth was that around lunchtime, one Wednesday in the middle of July, Sirius Black jumped off the Knight Bus right outside the gates of the Potters summer residence in Dorset. While the rumors later would say he was devastated, heartbroken and emotionally drained, he in fact felt rather content when he walked towards the manor. The gossips at Hogwarts would debate the reasons for his departure during the whole autumn and the arguments were heated. He had been forced to pledge allegiance to Voldemort, he was engaged to a muggle girl, he had tried to kill his parents, his parents had tried to kill him or he (and this one would become his favorite) had angered his parents by spending all the gold in the Black family vault on gillyweed and firewhiskey.

Yet again, the truth is proving to be simpler than the tales. Earlier that Wednesday in the middle of July, the will of Sirius's recently deceased great uncle Alphard had arrived by owl post to the Black Manor. Alphard, being old and without children of his own, had during his life managed to collect a not to shabby amount of gold, an amount of gold he apparently only wanted Sirius to inherit. As usual in the Black household, a heated argument ensued.

Somewhere in the shouting match, between the all too familiar lines of "You are no son of mine", "Shame of my flesh" and "You disgrace your pure blood", Sirius heard what he supposed was what people call the voice of reason.

"If you ever should leave", it said, "then now is the time."

One very important thing to know about Sirius Black is that he very often makes rash decisions. So with the will of his uncle, the clothes on his back and the money in his pocket as the only possessions he left the old house at 13 Grimmauld Place. And since his mother, with regards to rash decisions, is exactly like her son, she proceeded to simply blast both him and that wretched old man Alphard from the family tree.

One very important thing to know concerning Walburga Black is that she is proud, and would never admit to have acted rash. Due to this, she never regretted blasting her son from the Black family tree. She felt bitter about it sometimes, yes, but she never let herself regret it. And since her son, with regards to pride, was and is exactly like his mother, he never let himself regret leaving.

In Dorset the only son of another influential pure blood family is laying sprawled out in the grass, lazily leafing through a quidditch magazine. When Sirius stops to stand by his feet, almost all blocking out the sun, the boy drops the magazine. In the rumors concerning this day, Sirius's best friend James Potter played the part as savior, rescuing Sirius from one dangerous situation or another, nervous wreck worried sick while Sirius were running for his life or comforting friend helping to heal whatever soul scarring wounds Sirius had sustained during his disownment. In truth, he really was neither.

"Oh. Hi" he says, smiling broadly.

"Hi, James", Sirius replies.

"Sort of expected you would show up", James continues smiling. "Go inside and change into something cooler, those black robes must be suffocating. Practically like the tropics here today." He picks up the magazine again, and continues to turn the pages lazily, not appearing to pay the content any real attention at all.

"Didn't bring any clothes, actually."

"At all? You going back to fetch some later?"

"Probably not."

"Ever?"

"Ever." He thinks maybe he should be sad, but strangely enough he's not.

"Good riddance, if you ask me. Go and borrow some clothes from me then, Mr. Picket fence."

"Who?"

"You. Skinny and pale. Go change. Now."

Later in September, when they were both back at Hogwarts they made fun of each other over the rumors, laughing them all off but never bothering correcting them or revealing the truth.

"You are not that far off", they would say, laughing, "just some small details that are wrong."

When Sirius thought about it, it was all just details. No rain or bone chilling temperatures, but actually broad daylight and a bright blue sky. There was no secret muggle fiancée, death eater allegiances or murder plans, only an old uncle's will and a small voice of reason. No fighting, running or bloodshed, instead just a rather uneventful ride on the Knight Bus. James was neither worried sick nor comforting, but just normal, lazy James. Sirius was not devastated or sad and he sure as hell wasn't crying.

To Sirius, there was only one thing that the rumors really got wrong. He didn't leave his family. He came home.


End file.
